He also frequently appeared on talk and variety shows in the early 1970s, especially The Tonight Show, as The Great Metrano, a "magician" who performed absurd tricks, such as making his fingers "jump" from one hand to another, while constantly humming an inane theme song – "Fine and Dandy", an early 1930s composition by Kay Swift.[5]
His best-known role came in 1985 as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in Police Academy 2. He reprised the role in its sequel Police Academy 3 a year later.[1]
After injuring his spine in 1989, Metrano's on-screen appearances became limited during his rehabilitation. He did, however, return to television a year later and continued making guest appearances and small roles until retiring from acting in 2001.[6][7] Between 1993 and 2001, Metrano infrequently toured a one-man show titled "Jews Don't Belong on Ladders...An Accidental Comedy", which has raised more than $75,000 for Project Support for Spinal Cord Injury, to help buy crutches, wheelchairs, and supplies for disabled people.[8] After a final limited set of shows in 2008, Metrano retired.[9][10]
In December 2007, Metrano sued Seth MacFarlane, the producers and studio behind the television show Family Guy, asserting copyright infringement, and asking for damages of over two million dollars. The suit pertained to a "cutaway" segment from the 2005 episode Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, where Stewie alludes to the miracles of Jesus Christ being "exaggerated a bit." The cutaway shows Jesus performing to a group of awed onlookers while doing Metrano's act: making his fingers jump between hands while humming "Fine and Dandy".[11][12] The case was settled out of court in 2010 with undisclosed terms.[13][14]
Originally from Brooklyn, New York City, Metrano lived in Aventura, Florida, with his second wife Jamie Golder.[15] He had four children. He was born to a Turkish Jewish father and a Greek Jewish mother.[16] Following his retirement from acting, Metrano owned a yogurt shop.[17]
On September 17, 1989, Metrano broke his neck and seriously injured his spinal cord after falling off a ladder while working on his house.[18] Initially a quadriplegic,[19][20] he later regained the use of his arms and legs, and was able to walk short distances with the help of crutches, although he regularly used a motorized wheelchair.[21][17]
^Arthur Metrano, vs. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Seth MacFarlane, Steve Callaghan and Alex Borstein, United States District Court, Central District of California December 5, 2007
